Sweeney with a Twist
by Huclya Cuthalion
Summary: Let's give Sweeney a niece the same age as Johanna. Would she be able to change his fate? Would she be the daughter he missed out on having? Rated T for violence.
1. No place like London or its Pies

**Ok, I have had this idea for forever, and now I am writing it. **

**Sweeney has a niece named Victoria Barker. She is sixteen. She is a ginger, and she actually reminds Sweeney of what life he could have had with Johanna. **

**I don't own Sweeney Todd. **

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No place like London. I must agree with that. It was my first time in London, and there was no other place in the world that was as dark, cold, and as miserable as that place. The buildings were dark, the clothing that the people wore was dark, even with the street lamps lit it was dark. I was the only source of colour when I stepped out of the carriage; I was wearing a pretty blue gown and a dark blue cloak over it, and my long, wavey ginger hair seemed like a fire in this place.

I looked down at the slip of paper that the lady at the orphanage had given me.

_Benjamin Barker_

_181 Fleet Street, London_

Benjamin Barker was my uncle. My parents had died of a fever when I was only six, and just now, I was told that I had a living relative to take care of me. I knew he had a wife, Lucy, and a daughter that was my age named Johanna. But, I hadn't seen the man since I was a baby, and I don't really remember him all that well.

I grabbed my suitcase, and began to make my way through the dark hole. Fleet Street wasn't really that hard to find, the carriage dropped me off just a few blocks from it. I looked at the numbers on the buildings so I could find were it was that I needed to go. 175…177…179…181…I did a double take on that building. It was 181, but, there was a large sign on it that read MRS. LOVETT'S MEAT PIES.

"This can't be right." I said to myself, looking down at the slip of paper.

But, I went inside anyway. The inside was even drearier than the outside. It was filthy and grimy and just plain disgusting. At the baking counter, well I assumed it to be a baking counter, was a very pale woman with messy auburn hair, dark clothes and black gloves. She looked up when I entered and smiled brightly.

"Hello there, love." She said. She had to be Mrs. Lovett. She motioned me to sit down at a small table.

"Um…hello." I replied, sitting.

"Did you come in for a pie?" She asked.

"No, no. Um…I'm looking for someone actually." I nervously looked around the small shop.

"Oh, who may that be, dear?"

"My uncle. Benjamin Barker." I said, hoping that she would know him, well, not just hoping, I was praying that she knew him.

"Barker?" I nodded. "I haven't heard that name in years." So she knew him. That was a good sign. She began to chop away at some dough.

When I opened my mouth to say something, the door to the shop opened. I looked and saw a man wearing a dark coat, dark clothes, and he was very pale. His hair was curly and black and it had a single white streak in it and his eyes looked like they were sunked in and they were very dark. Mrs. Lovett looked up from her work.

She smiled. "A customer! _Wait!  
What's your rush? What's your hurry?  
You gave me such a --  
Fright, I thought you was a ghost!  
Half a minute, can'tcher sit!  
Sit you down, sit!"_ The man sat down next to me, and nodded at me, and I nodded at him. _  
"All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks!  
Did you come here for a pie, sir?  
Do forgive me if me head's a little vague --  
Ugh! What is that?"_ She slammed her hand down on a bug. _  
"But you think we had the plague!  
From the way that people  
Keep avoiding --  
No you don't!" _Another bug was smacked under her pale hand. _  
"Heaven knows I try, sir!  
Ick!  
But there's no one comes in even to inhale!  
Right you are, sir, would you like a drop of ale?" _She brought over a pie and sat it in front of the man. It was kind of gross looking, and I was glad that I didn't take one. _  
"Mind you, I can't hardly blame them!  
These are probably the worst pies in London!  
I know why nobody cares to take them,  
I should know,  
I make them,  
But good? No!  
The worst pies in London,  
Even that's polite!  
The worst pies in London,  
If you doubt it, take a bite!" _The man took a bite, and his eyes seemed to pop out of his head and he quickly spit it out. I sniffled a giggle._  
"Is that just disgusting?  
You have to concede it!  
It's nothing but crusting!  
Here, drink this, you'll need it!  
The worst pies in London..." _She handed him a glass of ale and he took a sip of it. I looked at the pie and saw a bug crawl out of it, and I nearly gagged. _  
"And no wonder with the price of meat  
What it is  
When you get it  
Never  
Thought I'd live to see the day  
Men'd think it was a treat  
Findin' poor  
Animals  
Wot are dyin' in the street!  
Mrs. Mooney has a pie shop!" _She began to bang away at another pie. _  
"Does a business but I notice something weird.  
Lately all her neighbors' cats have disappeared!" _Ew. Cats into pies? Who does that?_  
"Have to hand it to her --  
Wot I calls  
Enterprise  
Poppin' pussies into pies!" _Double ew!_  
"Wouldn't do in my shop!  
Just the thought of it's enough to make you sick!  
And I'm tellin' you, them pussycats is quick!" _So she had tried to catch them? That was beyond gross._  
"No denying times is hard, sir  
Even harder than the worst pies in London!  
Only lard and nothing more --  
Is that just revolting,  
All greasy and gritty?  
It looks like it's molting,  
And tastes like,  
Well, pity  
A woman alone,  
With limited wind,  
And the worst pies in London!  
Ah, sir, times is hard,  
Times is hard! _Trust me dear, it will take a lot more than ale to wash that taste out. I'll get a drink of gin." She walked out from behind her counter, and motioned for the man to follow her; I just sat at the table awkwardly. She popped back in. "You can come too love."

I got up and followed them into a parlor. It was a lovely, yet dreary place. The wallpaper was a blue-ish colour and it seemed to have a floral print. There was a couch and a chair and it was homey.

Mrs. Lovett got the man a glass of ale and motioned me to the couch and I sat down.

"You have a room up there you know. If times are so hard, why not rent it?" The man asked quietly.

"Up there?" Mrs. Lovett asked. "No, I won't go near it. People think it's haunted."

The man looked at her shocked. "Haunted?"

Mrs. Lovett sat on the chair and looked at me, then the man. "They say years ago, something happened up there. Something...not...very...nice."

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**Ok, there we go. First Chapter! I tried to make it somewhat a cliff hanger, though if you are reading this, you have probably seen the movie, so we all know what happens! Anywho, please review!!**


	2. Poor Thing and the Truth

**Here is Chapter Two of my Sweeney story! **

**So, we all know that no other than Stephen Sondheim and Tim Burton own Sweeney Todd, but we all want to own it. I don't own it. :(**

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"They say years ago, something happened up there. Something…not…very…nice." Mrs. Lovett said to the man.

I looked at him more closely now. I couldn't help but think that he seemed quite familiar somehow. I couldn't really explain it. He sat next to me with his glass and glanced at me. I shook my head and looked at Mrs. Lovett. "What exactly happened up there?" I asked.

She looked at me, and sadness came to her eyes. "_There was a barber and his wife.  
And he was beautiful...  
A proper artist with a knife,  
but they transported him for life.  
And he was beautiful..._Barker his name was. Benjamin Barker. _"_ If I did not know better, I would say it sounded like she had a thing for this…

Barker? Benjamin Barker? My uncle? "Transported?" I repeated, utterly confused.

"What was his crime?" The man asked in that same quiet tone."Foolishness. _He had this wife, ya see.  
Pretty little thing,  
silly little nit.  
Had her chance for the moon on a string..._" My Aunt Lucy. _  
"Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
There was this judge you see,  
Wanted her like mad,  
everyday he'd send her a flower.  
But did she come down from her tower?  
Sat up there and sewed by the hour.  
Poor fool.  
Ah, but there was worse yet to come!  
Poor thing!  
Well, Beadle calls on her all polite  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
The judge, he tells her, is all contrite.  
He blames himself for her dreadful plight.  
She must come straight to his house tonight!  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
Of course when she goes there...  
Poor thing!  
Poor thing!  
They're having this ball all in masks.  
There's no one she knows there!  
Poor dear!  
Poor thing!  
She wanders, tormented and drinks!  
Poor thing!  
The judge has repented, she thinks.  
Poor thing!  
'Oh where is Judge Turpin?' she asks...  
He was there, alright!  
Only not so contrite!  
She wasn't no match for such craft, ya see.  
And everyone thought it so droll.  
They figured she had to be daft, ya see.  
So all of them stood there and laughed, ya see!  
Poor soul!  
Poor thing!_" My aunt was raped. Raped by the man who had sent my uncle away.

"NO!" The man cried in pain, standing. "Would no one have mercy on her?"

Mrs. Lovett's eyes grew wide. "So it is you! Benjamin Barker!"

I almost smiled. So this man…this man was my uncle. I wanted to hug him and tell him that I was now there for him. But, I was older now and he wouldn't recognize me, so I held back.

"Where is Lucy? Where is my wife?" My uncle asked with such pain in his voice.

"She poisoned herself. Arsenic from the Apothecary on the corner." Mrs. Lovett explained. "I tried to stop her. But she wouldn't listen to me." This was terrible. My uncle had been sent away on a false charge, and my aunt was dead? London really was awful. "And he's got your daughter."

"He? Judge Turpin?" Uncle Ben asked. So, it seemed that the judge who sent away my uncle, and caused my aunt to poison herself, now had my cousin? What kind of a cruel world is this?

"Adopted her." Mrs. Lovett said. "Like his own."

"Fifteen years sweating in a living hell on a false charge." My uncle said, taking off his coat, and turning away from Mrs. Lovett and myself. "Fifteen years dreaming I might come home to a wife and child."

Mrs. Lovett rose from her chair. "Well, I can't say that the years have been particularly kind to you Mr. Barker."

"No." He said firmly, turning back around. "Not Barker. That man is dead. It's Todd now, Sweeney Todd. And he will have his revenge."

Now, I was just sitting there, invisible it seemed. I was in shock. I tired to sum up what had just happened. So, my uncle Ben was taken to jail on a false charge, the man who convicted him raped my aunt at a party then she poisons herself and he raises my cousin Johanna, and now my uncle changed his name to Sweeney Todd; yeah, not confusing at all.

"You may not have come home to a daughter, but you came home to a child that needs ya." Mrs. Lovett said, shaking me from my thoughts. I looked at her and she was pointing to me.

"What's your name girl?" Uncle Ben…Sweeney said, looking me up and down from my spot on the couch.

"Um…my name is Victoria. Victoria Barker." I said quietly.

His face softened, and he looked like he was going to cry."Victoria? My little niece?" I nodded. "I haven't seen you since you were just a baby." He said, offering his hand to me.

I took it and he helped me stand up. He didn't embrace me, but the way he looked at me was enough. The look in his eyes was a mixture of a promise, sadness, and happiness. I could see that he seemed happy I was there to be with him. When he asked about my parents and I told him what happened, he got very quiet, as if he was feeling more alone than he already did. He did not say much after that, but I did not mind.

Mrs. Lovett gave me a room that was next to hers. She brought my suitcase over and helped me unpack my things.

"You know love," she said, "he really is happy you're here."

"Do you truly believe that, Mrs. Lovett?" I asked.

"Of course I do." She said, embracing me.

I had found my uncle, and a friend that makes meat pies. Maybe, just maybe, life in London could turn out all right. However, I will not get my hopes up.

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**There we have it! Chapter Two!**

**Is Sweeney glad to have his niece? Will she play a part in the meat pie scam? To soon to tell now my little readers, but we will see in time! :)**


	3. Family Bonds

**Here is Chapter Three. Thanks for all the reviews! They made me very happy. **

**So anywho...I don't own Sweeney Todd and I don't own "Peter Pan" either. **

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"Love," I turned and saw Mrs. Lovett standing at my bedroom door, "I'm taking your uncle upstairs for a minute. Will you be all right down here?"

"Yes. I will." I replied simply.

She smiled. "Feel free to look through stuff. My home is your home." With that, she was gone.

I took advantage of what she suggested. I walked out of my room and into her parlor. At first, there was nothing really interesting, just what you would typically find in a lady's house if she lives alone: pictures of a man, books, paintings, stuff of that nature. I thought that I might as well go back to my room, but something under a table caught my eye.

It was a big box. I looked to the door to make sure that Mrs. Lovett wasn't coming back, and then pulled the box out. I sat on the floor and opened it. There were all sorts of neat things in it: pictures and old toys and dresses. I pulled out a few of the framed pictures. One was of my uncle, before he was arrested, with Aunt Lucy and my cousin Johanna. He looked so happy; one arm was around Lucy's shoulders and the other was holding my cousin on his hip and he had the biggest smile on his face. Lucy looked so pretty; she had yellow hair that was up in an elegant fashion. Then, I pulled out one that was just Lucy and Johanna, and it made me think of my mother. I didn't look like my mother, more like my father.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Oh, I'm so sorry you're ill my pet." Amelia Barker said, stroking her little four year daughter's hair. Amelia was beautiful; her skin was tan and her hair was long and dark and thick. _

_The little girl sneezed. "Mamma, will you sing me to sleep? I'm tired." _

_Her mother smiled. "Of course I will my lamb." She handed the little girl her favorite doll, and began to hum, and then opened her mouth. "__**Once upon a time and long ago **_

_**I heard someone singing soft and low. **_

_**Now when day is done and night is near I recall the song I used to hear. **_

_**'My child, my very own **_

_**Don't be afraid **_

_**You're not alone**_

_**Sleep until the dawn **_

_**For all is well' **_

_**Long ago this song was sung to me **_

_**Now it's just a distant melody. **_

_**Somewhere from the past, **__**I used to know **_

_**Once upon a time and long ago**__." _

**END FLASHBACK**

A tear ran down my cheek. I missed my mother, and my father. But, I had to be strong. My uncle didn't have his daughter or his wife and I had to be there for him.

"Love?" I looked up and Mrs. Lovett was standing above me. "Your uncle wants to see you."

I smiled and nodded. Standing, I put the pictures back in the box and walked past Mrs. Lovett. I walked outside, up the stairs and into a small room above the meat pie shop. My uncle had his back to me, facing a large window. When I opened the door, I could see that the room had tattered wallpaper, and seemed to have strange and very hurting images in it, and then my uncle turned to me and a small smile came to his lips. In his hand was a beautiful silver straight razor.

"Mrs. Lovett said you wanted to see me." I said quietly.

"Yes. Um… sit down." He said.

I looked around. "There no where to sit." I giggled.

"Right, well then, just stand. I wanted to tell you what happened exactly to me." He said. I nodded and he took a big breath. "_There was a barber and his wife,  
And she was beautiful.  
A foolish barber and his wife.  
She was his reason and his life,  
And she was beautiful,  
And she was virtuous,  
And he was... naive.  
There was another man who saw  
That she was beautiful.  
A pious vulture of the law,  
Who, with a gesture of his claw,  
Removed the barber from his plate,  
Then there was nothing but to wait,  
And she would fall,  
So soft,  
So young,  
So lost  
And oh so beautiful!" _

I shook my head. My uncle was an innocent man. That judge took him from his wife and daughter, and then rapped her. She wanted her husband home. "And then what Mrs. Lovett said; she poisoned herself, but she was waiting for you." I said, approaching him, and placing a hand on his arm.

"Victoria, I never want to see you harmed or taken away from me, like my Johanna was." He said, moving his hand from my grasp and putting both arms around me in a tight embrace.

I put my arms around him, buried my face in his chest, and tears fell down from my eyes. "I don't want to be taken from you Uncle. I lost my parents; I don't want to loose you."

"You won't."

"I can't explain it, but I feel safer with you and Mrs. Lovett than I did with my parents. Maybe it's because you're still here, and I know you would fight for me if anything were to happen." I pulled away slightly and looked up into his sad brown eyes.

"We're family. Of course I would fight for you. And I'm not going anywhere." He said, reassuringly.

"What that judge did to you was wrong. What he did to Aunt Lucy was wrong. Now he has your daughter, my cousin, and I don't know what he is doing to her. He hurt my family, and he should suffer like you suffered." I said, not really believing what I was saying. I was talking about revenge, revenge on a man I didn't even know. But he hurt my uncle, and I thought that he should hurt too.

"You're a smart girl and a pretty one too. I'm glad to have you here with me." He kissed my forehead. "Go on back down and help Mrs. Lovett in the shop."

I nodded and left the room and my uncle.

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**Ok, Chapter Three...what did ya'll think? I wanted there to be a touching moment with Sweeney and Victoria. **

**Just so ya'll know, she will help in the revenge thing...I know...spoiler, but I wanted to get that out there. **


	4. Johanna

**Ok, sorry for the wait. But here is chapter 4.**

**I don't own it. :(**

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"Mrs. Lovett," I said, holding up a finished meat pie, "did I do this right?"

The pie looked worse than hers did. But, she smiled and put her arms around my shoulders. "It's good for a first try."

"Thanks." I said.

I had been trying to make a pie for three hours, and I wasn't any good at it. I really like Mrs. L. She was like the mom I didn't get time to know, or the sister I never got to have. She always smiled at me, and told me things even if they weren't true, and I hadn't even been there a whole day yet.

Soon, the side door opened and my uncle came in, with a young man at his side. The man was handsome, his hair was long, wavy and brown, his eyes were blue, and he was dressed humbly. He nodded to me and Mrs. L.

"This is my young friend Anthony." Uncle Sweeney said. "This is Mrs. Lovett and my niece, Victoria."

"It's nice to meet you both." Anthony said.

Uncle looked at me, winked and then looked at Anthony. "My niece just arrived this morning, and doesn't know much about the town. Why don't you take her and show her around."

Anthony's eyes grew wide. "I don't know London that well either Mr. Todd."

"Well, you know it well enough. I would show her around, but Mrs. Lovett is going to help me set up my barber shop upstairs." Uncle said.

Anthony nodded. "Very well, I shall."

Mrs. L wiped flour on her torso. "I'll go and get your cape dear." She said.

I walked up to my uncle and pulled him aside. "What are you doing?"

He put his arm around me. "Find Johanna."

Johanna? After the conversation he and I had? "Is this what this is all about?"

He shook his head. "No. Just, you've seen your uncle, your aunt is dead and I think you should at least _see_ your cousin."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't believe what he was saying. "Fine."

"Here you go dear." Mrs. L said, draping my cape over my shoulders.

"Shall we go?" Anthony said, holding out his arm.

I took it, glanced at my uncle, and then we walked out the door onto the dreary street of London.

Anthony was really sweet. He and I talked a lot as we walked up and down the streets. He asked me about my life in the orphanage and my uncle and my interests. I asked him what it was like to be a sailor, and how it felt to have all that freedom. He was very open and seemed to be very honest with me. I can't explain it, but we just seemed to click right away.

We sat down in front of a large house to relax. Then, as if at the same moment, we heard something coming from the second floor of the house.  
"_Green finch, and linnet bird,  
Nightingale, blackbird,  
How is it you sing?  
How can you jubilate  
sitting in cages  
never taking wing?  
Outside the sky waits  
beckoning!  
Beckoning!  
Just beyond the bars...  
How can you remain  
staring at the rain  
maddened by the stars?  
How is it you sing  
anything?  
How is it you sing?" _It was a young woman, probably around my age, with long yellow hair and pale skin…yellow hair pale skin? She looked like the picture that I found of…my aunt Lucy.

"_My cage has many rooms  
damask and dark...  
Nothing there sings,  
not even my lark.  
Larks never will, you know,  
when they're captive.  
Teach me to be more  
adaptive.  
Ah...  
Green Finch, and Linnet Bird,  
nightingale, blackbird,  
teach me how to sing.  
If I cannot fly...  
Let me sing._" It was Johanna. I could feel it.

Anthony had stood now, looking at her window. She looked at him for a moment, then got up and ran away. I had found my cousin…now I just wanted to talk to her. I walked up next to Anthony.

"_Alms! Alms! For a miserable woman!  
On a miserable chilly...morning..._" an old beggar woman had come up to us now. I handed her some coins from my pocket. "Thank you miss, thank you."

"Mum," Anthony said, "whose house is this?"

"That's the great Judge Turpin's house that is." The old woman replied.

"And the young lady who resides there?"

"Oh, that's Johanna," Told you so, "his pretty little ward. Don't go messing around there. _Alms, alms!_" And with that she walked away.

Anthony got a strange look in his eyes. "_I feel you,  
Johanna.  
I feel you.  
I was half-convinced I'd waken.  
Satisfied enough to dream you,  
happily I was mistaken,  
Johanna.  
I'll steal you,  
Johanna,  
I'll steal you.  
Do they think that walls can hide you?  
Even now I'm at your window...  
I am in the dark beside you,  
buried sweetly in your yellow hair!  
I feel you,  
Johanna!  
And one day,  
I'll steal you!  
'Til I'm with you then,  
I'm with you there...  
sweetly buried in your yellow hair!_"

I smirked. "Pardon me." I walked right up to the judge's house and rang the door bell.

He answered it. "Yes, can I help you miss?"

I put on my little girl charms. "Excuse me sir, I am so sorry to bother you, but I am new to London and I don't know my way around and I was wondering if you would help me."

He smiled. "Of course dear. Come in." I glanced back at Anthony and then followed the enemy into his quarters. His house was quit nice. It was big and open, and there was fine furniture everywhere. "Now, where did you come from dear?"

"An orphanage in Glasgow. My parents died of the fever when I was only six." I said.

"I see. Well, I do have someone here you could talk to. Go upstairs and on the fourth door on your right is my ward, Johanna's room."

I smiled. Just what I wanted. "Thank you sir."

I walked up the stairs, found the door and knocked. Johanna answered.

"Can I help you?" She asked quietly.

"Actually, I think that I can help you." I said. She let me in her room, she went and sat at her window, and I sat on her bed. "Now, Johanna, my name is Victoria B…Todd."

"You say that you can help me. How?"

I took a deep breath. "I believe that if I can get your guardian to like me well enough, you might be able to leave this place with me or my friend Anthony."

She blushed when I said Anthony's name. "How well do you know that boy?"

"Well, uh, my uncle knows him pretty well." I said. "But that is beside the point. I will get you out of here. I promise you."

"Why are you trying to help me? You don't even know me."

"Because…I don't know. I just have to." I said. I got up, and walked out of her room. I went downstairs, and met Judge Poo Butt in his parlor. "I would like to thank you sir. Now I know where I am going."

He smiled. "Of course dear."

"If it isn't too much trouble, may I come and visit again soon?"

"Of course, yes you can. I am glad to have someone who is around my Johanna's age around now."

"Well, farewell sir." I walked out of the house, and met Anthony on the street. "We may get Johanna out my friend. Now, take me home."

I would get my cousin out. I would get her to my uncle, her father. I would help her and him.

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**Well, what did you think of it?**


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